While the spirit of philanthropy, at its core, is the same no matter the size of a business, the execution of a successful giving strategy can sometimes be tougher for big companies: They are often expected to produce a bigger community return on investment for their charitable dollars and efforts.

Capital One Financial Corp. has found success in doing just that through its Investing for Good program. This effort created by the McLean-based financial institution focuses its philanthropic efforts into four areas that define economic opportunity: affordable housing, education, small business, and workforce development and financial literacy.

And much of its work comes in partnership with a host of nonprofits, both national and local.

The financial giant works with The Heart of America Foundation, Communities in Schools and City Year to help establish parent resource centers, library renovations, scholarships and after-school programming in schools. It backs the Easter Seals Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Child Development Center in D.C. to come up with curriculum targeted to at-risk children.

It partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a $4.5 million, three-year job training initiative for veterans and military spouses and with the Legal Aid of Central Virginia to create a technology platform that helps lawyers provide more pro bono hours to lower-income clients. The platform, dubbed JusticeServer, is expected to help 1,500 to 5,000 low-income clients in central Virginia each year.

That doesn’t include Capital One’s own expertise that it brings to nonprofit organizations. The company estimates that it’s provided nearly $6 million in pro bono branding, information technology, human resources, finance, operations and process analysis, among other services, to local groups. It plans to increase the number of staffers who perform that pro bono work by 10 percent, expand its services geographically by 50 percent and hike the number of nonprofit recipients by 10 percent.

In addition, Capital One opened its Entrepreneur Lab co-working offices in Ward 8 of the District, housing enough space for up to 30 small businesses and offered up more than 10,000 employees in the past seven years to lead financial education sessions for students in the Capital One Junior Achievement Finance Park.

Capital One Financial Corp.

Community work: Focuses its work on four core economic areas: affordable housing, education, small business and workforce development and financial literacy. In addition to year-round activities, participates in an annual week of giving. During last year’s One Week of Service, almost 16,000 employees donated 43,000 hours to 508 nonprofits.

What is a Jefferson Award? A national nonprofit program that was formed 40 years ago to create a Nobel Prize for public service and now recognizes companies that build community service into their corporate culture. The Washington Business Journal will feature local nominees monthly and submit its 2012-13 finalist for the national awards in June. The next deadline for applications will be in the summer, and you can apply at https://www.jeffersonawards.org/nominate/local/Washington%20Business%20Journal.